For the 2008 Mardi Gras celebration Soulard declared: Let the Games Begin! But with Mardi Gras in St. Louis you never know what the weather has in store. Unlike New Orleans’ warm winters, St. Louis crowds usually bundle up for snow and freezing temps. Nevertheless—rain or shine, snow or freezing temps—the St. Louis crowds come out to celebrate. Big Crowds!

After enjoying pleasant weather for the Taste of Soulard, Beggin Strips Pet Parade and PetSmart Weiner Dog Derby the snow rolled in Thursday afternoon just in time for the weekend’s Lumière Place Grand Parade. With 8 inches of snow on the ground in downtown St. Louis, the City streets department and Mardi Gras Inc volunteers scrambled to push aside the snow banks and dust off the snow boots for the long-time St. Louis tradition.

This year marks the 29th official year of Soulard Mardi Gras, and each year revelers keep their fingers crossed that Mother Nature will be kind on Grand Parade Day. However, things don’t always work out that way and often St. Louis residents and guests are met with a blistery winter day. Instead of staying indoors or flying south, hundreds of thousands continue to line the streets of Soulard as the attendance levels consistently grow year in and year out.

Despite the winter weather, TVG’s Mack Bradley noted that, “We draw people from all over the country to St. Louis in the middle of February for an outdoor festival. So it’s a great party.”

TVG has served as MGI’s Information Ministry since 2004. Throughout the Mardi Gras season TVG works to notify the media and community of upcoming events as well as answering questions. Since 2004, the Soulard Mardi Gras (SMG) press coverage has increased by over 100%. This year alone, television and radio clips totaled over 130 during the month long celebration, reaching an audience of close to 10 million.

Contact us at tvg@vandivergroup.com or send comments to blog@vandivergroup.com.